Satomi Suzuki Makes Stunning Comeback to Olympic Final After 12 Years

At just 33 years old, Satomi Suzuki is back in the spotlight, having made an incredible return to the Olympic final. This comeback comes a whole 12 years after her impressive showing at the London 2012 Games, where she snagged three medals: a silver in the 200m breaststroke, and bronzes in both the 100m breaststroke and the 4x100m medley relay.

“I’m thrilled to have finally made it to the Olympic final,” Suzuki shared in a quick interview with Japanese television right after the semi-final. “Honestly, I didn’t expect to make it to the final in the 200m this time. I was truly excited when I saw my placement on the scoreboard.”

What makes Suzuki’s return even more special is that she has now become the oldest Japanese swimmer to compete at the Olympic Games. Previously, that title belonged to Takeshi Matsuda, who was 32 when he competed in Rio 2016.

Suzuki’s journey hasn’t been a walk in the park. After her stellar performance in 2012, where she earned three medals, she faced several bumps along the way. In the Rio 2016 Games, she couldn’t get past the semi-finals, while her teammate Rie Kaneto took home gold in the 200m breaststroke. Then, on top of that, she missed the chance to represent Japan at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, which could have easily caused any athlete to throw in the towel.

However, Satomi’s story is one of grit and determination. Last year, during the World Championships in her hometown of Fukuoka, she delivered a personal best time in the 100m breaststroke for the first time in 14 years. Despite finishing 8th in the final, the experience revived her spirit and fueled her drive to return to the Olympic stage.

Tadahiko Kanda, her coach for the past 15 years since her days at Yamanashi Gakuin University, spoke to the Japanese media about her persistence: “After the Olympic trials for the Tokyo 2020 Games concluded, I learned that she wanted to continue. I felt that there were still things left unfinished on my end as well.”

Getting to Paris 2024 hasn’t been a cakewalk for veteran swimmers either. The Japanese Olympic Trials were tough, with many seasoned swimmers struggling to meet the tough qualification standards set by the Japan Swimming Federation. Other stars like Ryosuke Irie and Kanako Watanabe faced disappointment and ended up retiring after missing their chance on the national team.

In spite of these hurdles, Suzuki managed to secure her place for Paris 2024. She improved her personal best in the 100m breaststroke, dipping into the 1:05 range for the first time, and also swam the 200m breaststroke in 2:23.09, becoming the only swimmer to meet the national federation’s qualifying time.

As she gears up for the women’s 200m breaststroke final, Suzuki is ready to make her mark from lane 8, often labeled the underdog lane. Her goal is to beat her personal best and, if all goes well, stand on the podium once more. She’s excited about the experience and competition of being back in an Olympic final.

“I’m extremely happy to be back in the Olympic final after 12 years,” she expressed with a mix of nerves and anticipation. “I aim to achieve a time that’s faster than what I did at the trials. I also hope to set a new personal best and give it my all in the final.”

As the oldest swimmer in the race, her comeback isn’t just a personal victory, but a tribute to her passion and strength as a celebrated athlete from Japan.